Yesterday, at 9:09 pm local time for Los Angeles USA, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck close to a town in America called Lamont (ref. 1), which is Old Norse for “law man”. Not sure if there is a specific message here for another saint, but given my last post on the subject of Zion, where I remarked that in Isaiah 66 the kingdom of God is called Zion, and since Isaiah 52 reminds that Zion is also synonymous with Jerusalem, I think now is a good time to go through Isaiah 52 verse by verse.
Isaiah 52 begins by addressing Zion.
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
Isaiah 52:1
Zion is synonymous with Jerusalem and also the nation of Israel. Today, outside the walls of the Old City is a hill literally called Mount Zion.
In the next verse, the daughter of Zion is described as being “captive”, and in need of redemption.
Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
Isaiah 52:2-3
As of now, strictly speaking, Israel is under the grip of Satan. Revelation explains that throughout all of history, eight kingdoms of Satan will possess Israel. The first is Egypt as in the Egypt before Moses and the Exodus, and the last will be Mystery Babylon (the USA) in these very last days (ref. Revelation 17:10-11). This point is confirmed by the following verse in Isaiah 52, in which the expression “the Assyrian” is synonymous with Satan, because of course in the Egypt before Moses it would have been Pharaoh and not someone literally called the Assyrian.
For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
Isaiah 52:4
Now, during these eight kingdoms, in effect the name of God is being blasphemed, because the name of God occurs in the words Jew and Judah – my guess, the Ye of Yehudi and Yehudah, the same Ye of Yerushalayim and Yehoshua.
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
Ezekiel 36:20-21
Because of the continual plight and misery of the Jews over the ages – think hostility from neighbouring nations in modern times, and antisemitic hatred in general since antiquity – most of the world are under the impression that the Jews have been forsaken or even that God is no more. Yet the truth is that God does reign in heaven, and the good news is that soon there will be redemption and salvation for Zion here on earth. This is the message of Isaiah 52:5-7.
Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
Isaiah 52:5-7
On the day of the LORD, the entire world including the elect of Israel will see the Messiah of Israel, the Son of man Jesus Christ, who is essentially God’s “holy arm”, in other words, the one that will command the saints, a forthcoming army of God.
Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 52:8-10
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Isaiah 53:1
Next, on the day of the LORD, the elect of Israel, wherever they are across the world, will be holy, having been given the Holy Spirit before the time of Armageddon. As such, these individuals will be vessels of God, or trees of righteousness to change the metaphor, and they will be called to come to the holy land, the new kingdom of God.
Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.
Isaiah 52:11-12
Now, the king of the kingdom of God will be the Son of man Jesus Christ, described in Isaiah 53 as God’s “righteous servant”, even though technically he is the Messiah or the Christ, and also technically God himself. To this point, in Isaiah 52:13, the word “servant” occurs.
Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
Isaiah 52:13
His body will be celestial and fiery, but he will appear to be as he was at the time of the crucifixion over two thousand years ago. I suppose this is why Isaiah 52:14 says, his visage and form will be marred. Because of course Roman crucifixion was brutal, and the involvement of demons as Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ (2004) supposes would have made it worse.
As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Isaiah 52:14
… and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Zechariah 12:10
For this sacrifice – his suffering and death over two thousand years ago – God the Father has given him the power to cleanse and save the world.
So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Isaiah 52:15
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:11-12
Now concerning the expression “law man” from the earthquake being near a place called Lamont, that might be a reference to Jesus Christ as well.
This is because the Messiah of Israel will magnify the law and make it honourable.
The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
Isaiah 42:21
For this reason, during the Millennial Reign, many across the world will visit Zion, and learn of his ways, for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. In this manner, Christianity will be repaired and renewed.
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Isaiah 2:1-3
References:
1. Mona Darwish (7 August 2024), “5.2 magnitude earthquake centered near Lamont shakes Southern California”, sbsun.com